Barriers to the effective use of technology in education.

 

 

 

It may be said that technology has caused a revolution in education, from the early days of tape to tape language labs in the nineteen sixties to today's plethora of devices available to teachers and learners.

     But, alongside the innovations there are barriers that need to be overcome to fully realise the incredible potential of technology in education. Many older teachers are not so keen to embrace new ideas, preferring instead to carry on with old teaching methods and eschewing technology. On the one hand they are right, there is no substitute for good teaching and the lesson being taught is only as good as the planning, input and knowledge of the teacher. But it must also be noted that the rise in the use of technology in the classroom is exponential and unstoppable. Educators must really move with the times or be left behind in the slipstream.

By providing better motivation for these teachers and by promoting technology as a useful and helpful tool in education this barrier may eventually be overcome. 

     Another, not so easily rectified barrier to the effective use of technology in education is that of finance. Schools and colleges in areas of poverty may find it difficult to provide sufficient devices to ensure their students are given opportunities that are equal to those in more affluent areas of the country.

With a figure of one in three children in Wales living in poverty it is difficult to see how they may be afforded the same life chances as those in England. Crawley. J. (2011) comments that technology in education only works when national approaches and programmes are supported which take into account local circumstances and cultures. That is to say, unless national and  local governments invest sufficient funds in technology for schools they are setting barriers in place that may ultimately be insurmountable for many. Although it is simplistic to say that more funding should be provided to these impoverished areas, without it, these barriers will remain and future generations will reap the effect. 

     Time is another factor that must be considered at least initially to be a barrier to using technology in the classroom. When the teacher is using a new item of software or hardware and has to familiarise themselves with it and then to pass this knowledge on to the learners it takes time. Depending on the competence of the teacher and the understanding of the learner this may be significant. However, as Reece. I. and Walker. S. (2007) point out,  initial preparation, although time consuming, once completed should enhance the learning experience for the students.

     All of these barriers can be removed and future generations benefit from enhanced technology. All it takes is some effort on the part of those who are ultimately  responsible for the education of our students of whatever age. But the main culprit is money, lack of it or the unwillingness of the powers that be to invest in the future of our younger generations either through funding better training or putting money where it is needed most.

    

 

 

 

                                                                                     BIBLIOGROPHY

Crawley. J. In at the Deep End, a  survival guide for teachers in post-compulsory education. (2011) P 107. Oxford. England. Routledge.

Reece. I. and Walker. S.  Teaching, Training and Learning. A practical guide. (2009) P193. Tyne And Wear. England. Business Education Publishers Limited. 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                       HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED THE WAY WE LEARN

 

                                    The introduction of technology into the learning environment has provided benefits to both learner and  teacher alike. No longer restricted to the classroom and the library, devices such as PC's, tablets and the humble smart phone have made us rethink the way we interact with technology and each other.

                                    Teachers may now direct learners to resources outside the confines of the classroom walls to an electronic library, to internet resources such as 'You tube' and 'Ted Talks' and many more via their I-pads or other devices.

                                    Crawley. J. (2011) warns us though that technology itself will not improve learning but used properly it can enhance and add value.

                                    This said, the advantages would appear to outweigh the disadvantages. Communication skills may improve as students interact with each other and the teacher. Confidence in expressing themselves via a key board will give students a greater sense of achievement when they see their work professionally displayed on the screen. Photographs taken with a mobile device bring the quality of the studio into the classroom and then into the students projects. Embedding sound clips and or video clips enhance power point presentations. The applications to the way we teach and learn are countless and breath taking. The students I have taught in my placement college are digital natives. They have all grown up with new technology as a norm in their lives. To the new teacher such as myself the benefits are enormous. I don't need to explain how the software works, they know how it works.

              It allows me to plan my lessons in a form that will appeal to the students, (Power Point, You Tube etc). It has been a huge help when teaching technical English to my U.A.E. aerospace students. If they are struggling with a word or a concept I can either "Google" it or find something on You Tube. Assignments can be set, completed and marked online, (no danger of masses of paper work). Even my register can be done online, photographs of students included.

             There are social implications for the students as well.  Where once students may have had a pen pal in another country, wrote and posted a letter and waited weeks for a reply, contact is now instantaneous using Skype, email or text. It brings the opportunity of studying different cultures to the heart of the school and all in a moment.

              Information that at one time had to be looked up physically in an actual library can now be accessed over the internet, saving time that can be used for other things.

     Petty. G. (2009) asserts that technology presents teachers and learners alike with an unprecedented and potent tool that defies the imagination. If used properly and wisely they can only enhance both the teaching and the learning experience.   

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

 

Crawley. J. In at the DEEP END A Survival Guide for Teachers in Post-Compulsory Education. 2nd edition. (2011) P 104. Oxford. England. Routledge.
Petty. G. Teaching Today, A Practical Guide. (2009) P 391. Cheltenham. England. Stanley Thornes Ltd.

 

 

The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning

I have used mobile technology ever since it was first introduced into the work place and later in further and higher education. I have a smart phone (android)a tablet and several lap tops. They have been indispensable to me in my social life, my work and creative writing and they continue to be so. But, until I started my PGCE PCET I had not considered that they would be invaluable in teaching and learning.
     Having spent my first eight weeks in U.W.T.S.D. Swansea I can now begin to describe the benefits they bring to the teaching and learning environment. Most if not all of today's learners and teachers have smart phones. They contain many devices that can aid them, calculators, internet access and interactive apps to name but a few. and Reece. I. and Walker. S. (2007) say that by engaging more than one sense and as long as you don't overload the student's sensory input they may be invaluable in the classroom. As well as the phone function they contain a plethora of other applications (Apps)that can be invaluable. A text message sent to say a student is ill and won't be attending university today is mobile technology in its most simple form. Voice recorder apps can help students to record lectures, they can then play back any of the lecture they didn't quiet understand on the day. Invaluable if you are a learner that needs that repetition for it to make sense. The technology can also be used to video a lecture and again, replay at leisure.
     One of the most innovative uses encountered has been that of the QR code. So much information can be embedded in it. Homework for the learners and information for busy parents being just two that spring to mind.
     This provokes thoughts about the environment. With so much information available in the codes, the need for printed hand-outs decreases dramatically, thus saving trees.
      The uses of smart phones are virtually endless. Tablets could be considered to be the big brother of smart phones. They have virtually the same functions but on a larger screen. In time they may push printed books to the margins of literature. They are small enough to be portable (mobile) but books can be read on them via reading apps such as 'Kindle'. This is a valuable feature for both teachers and learners alike. There is now no need to carry around heavy books. Most libraries have the facility to allow you to download books over the internet. The font can be increased in size for learners with impaired vision, negating the need for libraries to carry large print books in their catalogues alongside the normal sized print. Background and print colours may be changed to aid dyslexic learners and the brightness of the screen can be altered to suit individual needs. A tablet may be used to have 'Skyped' lessons when individuals are in different locations or even on different continents. Again, the uses are endless.
     Even the diminutive U.S.B. flash drive has a part to play in the 'Mobile Technology' revolution that is taking place in teaching and learning. Small, pocket sized and mobile it can be as high capacity as you can afford. Learners can store their work on them and then bring them to the classroom. Teachers can carry whole lectures, Power Point presentations and educational videos on one.
          However, Crawley. J. (2011) makes a pertinent point that it would be wise to take heed of. He tells us that we should not forget that e-learning is the tool but learning is the goal.
     In summation, there has never been so much help for teachers and learners. As mobile technology improves so too should the education of all those generations to come. In half a century, education has gone from 'listen and learn' and 'chalk and talk' to "Google that please", "email the assignment to me", and "upload a copy through Turnitin". Terms that were unheard of back then are familiar to all now. We can only imagine what the future holds.

Bibliography

Crawley. J. In at the deep end. A survival guide for teachers in post-compulsory education. Second edition. P 106. Oxford. England. Routledge.
Reece. I. and Walker. S. Teaching, training and learning A practical guide. (2007) P 156. Tyne and Wear. England. Business Education Publishers Ltd.

TED TALKS

Here is an inspirational and thought provoking talk from an interesting lady. Most people would recognise that they have more than one way they talk to people. How many times have we commented that someone has a 'telephone voice'? This lady contends that she has three forms of spoken English. One that she use at home, one with her friends and one that she uses in school. I reflected on this and came to the conclusion that I too have several forms of spoken English. I use informal English with my friends, formal English on the telephone to institutions such as banks etc and a very casual English with my family which will include family 'in jokes' and references. But I also have discovered that I speak a very correct, precise English when teaching in college. My enunciation is clearer, I think about the construction of the sentences and the grammar I am going to use. I think if we all took a moment to consider, we may be able to identify more versions of spoken English that we use, possibly without thinking about it.

My week at Coleg Y cwmoedd got off to an interesting start. I am on an observation week but ended up teaching Technical English to a group of 10 aerospace technicians from the U.A.E. A great experience. One of the items we discussed the meaning of was fuel efficiency. I asked them which was more efficient, a mini or a Ford Mondeo. Puzzled looks all round. So having a light bulb moment I asked a student at random, " well, what car do you drive?"
He answered,  " a Ferrari".
"How about you?" I said pointing to the next student along.
A "Lexus".
"And you?"
"A Ferrari",.....
Porsche Cayenne,
Ferrari,
Mercedes 4X4,
Ferrari........and so on.
Didn't anyone mention to them that there's a recession on?
Sat in on 2 Mechanical principles lectures and understood them. Also sat in on a Health and Safety seminar yesterday.
Railway apprentices tomorrow, a 6 hour day. 3in the am and 3 in the pm.
All good so far!!!!
  

Well, that was a busy 2 months at U.W.T.S.D. Thursday was my second micro teach and it went ok. I have my film of it but can only view the first 2 minutes for some reason. Very strange to see oneself as others see you.
Tomorrow I shall be heading East  instead of West.
Colleg Y Cwmoedd here we come!

Bad weather forecast over the mountains so Uni work here I come.
Finished my power points yesterday, just need to get some help inserting a sound file. Lesson plan requires a bit of fine tuning too. As my micro teach is an introductory lecture to the module my scheme of work will be the last thing to do. ( Yes I do have it roughed out in a note book)
Looking forward to my placement in Coleg Y Cwmoedd a week Monday.
'Hands on' teaching is going to be a steep learning curve but I  like a challenge.



 I hope the students turn up!!